Lightning Catch Up Payment

Tampa Franchise Pays $22.5 Million

October 18, 1991|By Jeff Babineau of The Sentinel Staff

The National Hockey League announced Thursday the Tampa Bay Lightning have deposited an overdue payment of $22.5 million into an escrow account earmarked for the NHL, bringing the Lightning up-to-date in their quest to earn membership into the league.

The Lightning, a conditional franchise scheduled to join the NHL next October along with the Ottawa Senators, were scheduled to make the payment on June 15, but strife within the club's ownership group prevented the team from transferring funds to the league. The Lightning also have paid four months of interest.

''One of the conditions we are to meet is to sell 10,000 season tickets, and this enhances our opportunity to do that,'' said Gerry Helper, the Lightning's vice president of communications. ''It raises the confidence and comfort level in the community.''

Season-ticket sales have been stalled at 3,500 for months.

NHL President John Ziegler Jr.: ''We are pleased that this important aspect has been accomplished, and we are confident the Lightning will continue to market effectively the team and the NHL in the Tampa Bay area.''

The Lightning will play a majority of their first season in St. Petersburg's Suncoast Dome while awaiting construction of Tampa Coliseum.

They now have paid the NHL a total of $27.5 million, and a final payment of $22.5 million is due in December.